Newsletter

Dawgs stun Canes with late surge

OMAHA, Neb. - Throughout the week, Georgia's players expressed that they were not going to be complacent or just happy to be at the College World Series.

They wanted to make a statement. They wanted to be the team to win the Bulldogs' second national title.

They took the first step Saturday night. A wild ninth inning and a 7-4 upset victory over top-ranked Miami on opening day at Rosenblatt Stadium put Georgia on the right track.

Keep up with the actionClick here for the latest Georgia Bulldog play and news through online video.

Georgia (42-23-1) will face Stanford (40-22-2) at 7 p.m. Monday. Miami (52-10) will play state rival Florida State earlier at 2 p.m. in an elimination game. Georgia will be the home team against Stanford.

"That's probably one of the best wins I've been a part of," said Georgia's Ryan Peisel, who turned 22 on Saturday. "We've been doing it all year. It's never over until the last out's recorded with this team. For us to compete all nine innings is great. We battled the whole night."

It had been four years and two CWS appearances since Georgia won the first game of the CWS, and Miami was 45-0 this season when leading after the eighth inning.

Five Bulldogs on the current roster, including Peisel, went 0-2 in their last CWS appearance in 2006.

"For us older guys, it's a sweet redemption for us after going 'Two and 'cue' the last time," Peisel said.

Trailing 4-3 against Miami, the Bulldogs scored four runs in the ninth inning to complete one of the greatest postseason comebacks in school history. Lyle Allen tied it 4-all with an RBI single to left field. David Thoms weakly struck ball dribbled to Miami's Carlos Gutierrez and the star closer wildly overthrew first base. Two runs scored and Peisel sealed the game with an RBI single.

Peisel was responsible for four of Georgia's seven runs. He went 3-for-5 with a game-tying, two-run homer in the fifth.

"Our kids fought like there was no tomorrow," Georgia coach David Perno said. "We played every pitch hard. We played close to our identity and we battle hard."

All-American closer Joshua Fields (3-2), who entered with two outs in the eighth inning, recorded the win. He pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings. He struck out one.